Securities and Exchange Commission Historical Society

Explore our exhibits and delve into our archives of papers, conversations, photos, oral histories and more.

From the collection

Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act “under assault” in 1930.

FINRA donates primary sources on the creation of NASD

Featured Exhibition

Photo credit: Peter Tenzer/Minneapolis Fed

Retrospective: Arthur Levitt

Digital Archives

Oral Histories

Learn from interviews with SEC leaders, staff and other regulatory professionals about issues and rules their organizations grappled with starting in the 1930s.

Conversations

Conversations involve two or more people focused on historical SEC or regulatory topics. Check out their perspectives and experiences.

Historic Papers

Take a deep dive into our collection of nearly 10,000 letters, speeches, reports, notes and other materials about U.S. financial regulation.

This month in 1980...

This week in 1980, the NASDAQ, developed nine years earlier to provide quotes for over-the-counter transactions, provided best bid and offer prices rather than merely “representative” listings. It was a first step toward transformation of the quote system into an electronic exchange.